Electric cut-out



(No Model.)

J. S. POTTER.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. POTTER, OF NEVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,258, dated January 27, 1891.

Application filed August 16, 1890. Serial No. 362,196. (No model.)

To (all who/1t it Duty concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Out-Outs, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric cut-outs for incandescent-lamp wires or other electrical devices, and it is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section on the line X X shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 represents an end elevation. Fig. t repre sents a detail plan view of the detachable binder-plate and its insulator, and Fig. 5 represents a crosssection on the line Y Y shown in Fig. at.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

The device consists 01. an insulating-base A, preferably made of porcelain or suitable nonconducting material, said base having on its upper surface ridges or projections A A A, between which the series of cut-outs are arranged. Each of such cut-outs consists of a screw-threaded metal shell B, containingin its lower end a lozenge or disk 0, made of porcelain or suitable non conducting material, as shown in Fig. 2. In one piece with said shell B, or metallically connected thereto, is a metal binder-plate B, which is secured to the base A by means of a screw 13 passing through a perforation in the base A and screwed into the said binder-plate, as shown in Fig. 2.

B is a binder-screw screwed to the binderplate 13 for the purpose of attaching to said binder-plate the line-wire D, as usual.

I) is a detachable binder-plate secured to the base A by means of a screw 1) passing through a perforation in the base A and screwed into the binder-plate Z), as shown in Fig. 2.

b is a binder-screw screwed to the binderplate 1) for the purpose of securing to it the line-wire D.

The inner end of the bindenplate 1) pro jects through a side opening in the shell B and is preferably supported on the lozenge or disk 0. For the purpose of preventing metallic contact between the detachable binderplate b and the shell B, where said binderplate passes through the said shell, I arrange between said parts an insulating block I), made of porcelain or other suitable non-conducting material, by means of which the current from the wire D and binder-plate b is prevented from going through the shell B without first passing through the f usible-plu g device, such fusible-plug device consisting, as usual, of a hollow glass (or insulating material) plug E, surrounded bya screw-threaded metal band or ring E, adapted to be screwed into the metal shell B. In a perforation in the bottom of the hollowed plug E is inserted a metal button E, which is held in metallic connection with the inner end of the binderplate I).

c is a fusible wire, one end of which is connected to the button E, and having its other end connected to the screw-threaded ring E, as shown in Fig. 2.

E is a cap or protector secured to the up per end of the plug E, as usual.

The current passes normally from the wire D to the binder-plate b, and from it, through the button E, fusible wire e, metal ring E, and metal shell B, to the binder-plate B and wire D. If an abnormal or dangerous current is communicated to the wire D, the wire 6 is fused and the wire D cut out from the wire D, or'vicc versa, thus preventing such dangerous or abnormal current from being com munic-ated to the lamps, their connections, or the building in which they are located.

If it were not for the interposition of the insulating-block Z) between the binder-plate b and metal shell B, accumulations of dirt, dust, and moisture within and around such shell wouldcause electrical connection at all times between the wires D and D, thereby preventing a dangerous current from being cut out from between the wires. In devices of this kind a non-conducting material placed between the binder-plate b and shell I, as above described, is of the utmost importance.

0n the under side of the base A, I make a series of parallel ribs A" A as shown in Fig. 3, between the series of cut-outs, for the purpose of preveu ting moisture from the walls or ceilings, to which the base A is secured, fro m m akin geleetrical connectionbetween the respective wires attached to the individual cut-outs. By this arrangement air spaces or channels A A are produced directly below the places where the cut-outs and their fastening-screws are located, preventing entirelyany communication produced by moisture between the respective line-wires and their cutouts.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- In an electric cut-out, an insulating-base JOHN S. POTTER.

\Vitnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, DAVID J CARTWRIGHT. 

